Wildlife campaigners in Notts are calling a video of an otter playing in the snow a rare and ‘magical’ moment.
The footage of the animal rolling around by the River Trent has been viewed thousands of times on social media. The video, which was shared by Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust, shows the otter in night vision playing in the cold weather.
Wildlife photographer Michael Welsh captured the unique moment on a remote trail camera during the snow last week (January 25).
The footage was captured at 2am. Remote cameras are often used by photographers to get shots of animals which are unlikely to be seen.
Experts are excited by the pictures, because work has been ongoing for years to increase otter numbers in the county.
Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust’s Erin McDaid said: “It’s magical. For twenty years we have been working to bring otters back.
“They’re a real conservation success story. We don’t have many of those at the moment.”
The video was taken at an undisclosed location by the River Trent. Erin says some people still wish to negatively affect otters, so the sighting spot will be kept a secret.
Otters were once pushed to the brink of disappearance by hunting and habitat destruction, but now numbers are increasing across Nottinghamshire. The animals are notoriously shy and spend most of their time in the water.
Erin said: “It’s great to have the hard evidence that they are out there.”
Most winter wildlife is mush easier to see.
Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust manages nature reserves across the county. They are open during lockdown, however, some facilities are not available.
The charity is urging people to check for updates before visiting any of its sites.
